The Oyo State Government has held talks with the leadership of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, to deliberate on collaborative initiatives as the state begins the full implementation of its AfCFTA Strategy.
The meeting followed a Training of Trainers Workshop on AfCFTA Implementation held in Ibadan last week. The Special Adviser to the Governor on International Trade and AfCFTA, Ms Neo Theodore Tlhaselo, said the engagement, the first between both parties in 2026, was aimed at setting the tone for collaboration as the full rollout of the strategy commences.
Tlhaselo explained that discussions centred on Oyo State’s 2026 AfCFTA Action Plan, following the allocation of funds to AfCFTA implementation in the 2026 budget to drive the initiative and support the state’s implementation framework.
At the meeting, the AfCFTA Secretary General, Mr Wamkele Mene, commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his purposeful and visionary leadership, noting that Oyo State stands out as one of the few sub-national governments with a dedicated budget for AfCFTA rollout outside the Ministry of Trade, adding that the governor’s sustained commitment would significantly strengthen the state’s AfCFTA implementation and boost economic growth.
The meeting also explored collaborative engagements to advance AfCFTA implementation at the sub national level and accelerate industrial development in Oyo State. Tlhaselo noted that discussions covered strengthening the state as a manufacturing and trade hub through special economic zones, modernising trade systems with digital solutions, attracting strategic investments, improving logistics and border efficiency, and linking local industries to continental value chains under the AfCFTA framework.
